A free trade deal with the European Union that is a key part of the Harper government’s economic strategy is within reach and could be announced this week.

OTTAWA—A free trade deal with the European Union that is a key part of the Harper government’s economic strategy is within reach and could be announced this week.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose government is reopening Parliament with a throne speech Wednesday, should be in a position to reveal Canada has an agreement in principle with the EU any day, business and government sources say.

Announcing the deal would give Harper a boost as Members of Parliament get down to business again. Expanding Canadian trade beyond the United States market has been at the centre of the Conservatives’ efforts to strengthen Canada’s economy. But high-profile negotiations with the EU have dragged on for more than four years.

Source now say longstanding roadblocks over access to Europe for Canadian beef and strengthened patent protection for pharmaceuticals (as demanded by the EU) have been overcome. Provincial officials were in Ottawa over the weekend and are now reviewing details of the pact.

“It is close . . . It sounds like everyone is very confident,” said one industry source familiar with the ongoing talks.

Marie-Anne Coninsx, the EU’s new ambassador in Ottawa, sounded optimistic when asked earlier this month about the pace of negotiations. She said the talks had “intensified” in recent weeks.

“There is very good progress that has been made,” Coninsx said during a roundtable with reporters.

An agreement-in-principle would be followed by months of further efforts to fine-tune the deal by Canada and the EU.

With files from Robert Benzie

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